Aeroplane.



L. A. VAGHON.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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Patented Deed), 1913.

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Lou/s A. Mafia/v W QM.

5V H/S A TTUHIVL'W 1 tours A. VACHON, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

AEROJPLA'NE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application aim February 28, 1911.

PatentedlDec. 9, 1913.1

Serial No. 611,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, LOUIS A. VACIION, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Center, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes,.of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes.

More particularly it relates to. improvements in mechanism for aeroplanes to mount quickly from the earth 7n beginning a flight.

The object of the invention is accomplished by providing means by which the rear support ,of the craft while running on the ground may be suddenly remove so that by the action of gravity the rear portion of the aeroplane falls toward the ground, thus tipping the main planes to a greater angle 01 incidence with the air and giving immediately a greater supporting power, coupled with an inclination which assists in immediate rising from the ground. It is preferable that this be interconnected with the rudder or rudders so that at the instant the mechanism is operated the rudder shall be operated harmoniously, adding its proper eiiect tothe efiect thus produced by the main planes.

The object of the device is to cover in the claims whatever features of novelty exist in the disclosurehereinafter contained, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the invention as it may be applied'to one type of aeroplane, somewhat in diagram; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rear wheel; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of thesame; Fig. 5 is a side elevation on a larger scale, showing a detail in connection with the control mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a'front elevation of the same.

The invention may be applied to any type of aeroplane. As here illustrated, it is shown in connection with a particular type invented by me, in which, as represented in Fig. 1, the body of the craft, wherein the aviator sits and where the driving machinery is contained, is represented as being inclosed in the outline 10. The planes 9 would in the case of a monoplane be approximately at the top of the outline 10; or at top and bottom if a biplane; and would project from the sides of the outline seen in Fig. 2;

but

as they may beof any type, they are not shown in detail. Wheels 11 at the forwar end and a single wheel 12 at the rear, and a rudder 13, are illustrated, all of which may be of any desired type a'ndsuitable arrangement; or for which equivalents may be substituted.

The invention relates more. particularly to means for mounting and moving the rear support 12, which is here represented as being a single wheel centrally located and pivoted in a steering head 14, being controlled by cords or tiller ropes 15 leading from the forward control wheel 16 which wheel the aviator turns with his hands over to his right or to his left for steering in the horizontal plane as is customary, and which he moves longitudinally of thecraft, fore and aft, more or less, as is customary for controlling the rudders which direct the course of the craft in the vertical plane. As illustrated in the ropes 15 are used for steering 1n the horizontal plane, and are connected to the cross bar 16 on the said wheel 12. The motion which they communicate to the wheel is in turn transmitted from the second cross bar 17 through the tiller ropes 15' to the rudder 13.

In addition to its possible movement in the steering head 14, for steering in the horizontal plane, the wheel 12 is capable of movement about an axis 20 set transversely and horizontally, the whole steering head 11 being mounted on swivels 21, best seen in of the horizontal steerin Fig. 4; The top post 18 of this wheel is attached to a rod 19, which, at its forward end, is connected with the vertical steering control mechanism 16. Pushing the wheel 16 forward or back moves the rod 20; and incidentally it swings the eyes 21 thereon to which are connected the tiller ropes 22, so that the motion is transmitted through these ropes to cross bar 23 and the rudder 13 is swung upward or downward at the same time that the wheel 12 is swun backward and upward or forward an downward.

The construction which may be employed in the vicinity of the control wheel 16 is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 where side arms 26 of the control wheel, to which the tiller ropes 15 are connected, are seen with the tiller ropes leading from them over pulleys drawings, the tiller 19 correspondingly and. swings the'po-st 18 and wheel 12 about axis 27 at the ends of a moving cross head 28 capable of sliding forward and back with the control wheel 16, but prevented from rotatingby a spline thereon which travels in the keyway 29 in a stationary part. Consequentl the wheel 16 may be moved forward or bac without disturbing the relative positions of the tiller ropes for horizontal steering; and when pushed forward the wheel 12 1s swung backward and upward until a stop 24 on the forward side thereof has descended far enough to engage and be arrested by the main spars 30 which extend upward to support'the rudder. This stop, which may be made in any desired way, but the particular construction of which is best seen inFigs. 3 and 4, consists of two side supports having a horizontal cross piece marked 24; and this is preferably so located that whenthe wheel 12 is swung on the axis :20 its'motion is arrested before the wheel has traveled far enough to allow the body of the craftto strike the ground, in case it should not be wholly supported by the air immediately. As a further precaution, auxiliary wheels 31, one at each side of the rear. may be employed; or skids or any other suitable means for protecting the bottom of the craft in case of need.

In operation, after the craft has acquired some headway along the ground, the aviator may swing the wheel 12 upward, at the same time moving the rudder; and gravity will assist the maneuver-of rising from the earth in flight by drawing the rear end of the craft down, so that the entire main supporting planes instantly become rudders, as it were, to direct the course upward and also receive increased support from the air in front by reason of the changeoftheangle of incidence. In alighting after flight, the device also is useful as it enables a greater control to be exercised after the craft is on the ground, by the possibility of shifting the angle of the main planes with respect to the horizontal forward direction of motion which prevails atthat time, enabling the aeroplane to be brought to a stop more rap idly, orto rise more rapidly in case of overshooting the landing ground or in case of other need.

In Figs 1 and 2, which are somewhat diagrammatic, the connection 19 is represented in its truecharacter of a strut through which either pushes or pulls may be transmitted from the control wheel 16 to the rear support; but it will be understood that any equivalent construction may be substituted; and in particular it will usually be desirable to make a less direct connection, so that the space which the rod 19 occupies immediatel behind the control wheel 16 will be avail able for the aviators seat.

I claim:

1. In combination, an aeroplane;a rud der therefor adapted to swing in the vertical plane; means normally holding one end tr the apparatus at a fixed elevation when on the. ground; a support 7 the ground; bearings whereby said support at the other end may move up and down with respect to the apparatus; a controller; and connections from the controller to said rudder and said support, whereby it moves both simultaneously in the vertical plane.

I 2. In con'ibination, an aeroplane; a rudder, hung upon both horizontal and vertical axes; a supporting wheel for one end of the apparatus, stem carrying the wheel and mounted on the apparatus on both horizontal and vertical axes; a controller, and bearings for it to have motion in two directions perpendicular to each other; troller to said rudder and stem, whereby the controller when moved in one of said direc" tions operates the rudder and stem in unison horizontal axes, when moved in its sa1d directions operates sa1d stem in unison about their ver about their the other of rudder and tical axes.

3. In combination, an aeroplane; means at each side of one end of the apparatus to support it on the ground and maintain it in equilibriuima steeringwheel at said end of the apparatus, and means whereby said steering wheel may be moved down to a position below or up to a position above said side supports; and a controller adapted to so move said wheel and to turn it for steering laterally. Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 17th day of February, 1911.

LOUIS A. VACHON.

for the other endoii adapted to run on the'ground; a i

connections from the coni 

